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Toad Hollow Photography is a wedding, engagement, portrait, event and fine art photography company that focuses on professional services and lifestyle on Vancouver Island, in BC, Canada. Our work features high quality images of portraits both posed and candid, stunning island landscapes, incredible architecture and heritage facilities and artifacts. We try to capture the essence of life on Vancouver Island.

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We are so happy to announce our recently launched Engagement and Wedding Photography Services here at Toad Hollow Photography! Visit our new site for details and pricing. We are taking bookings for the 2015 wedding season right now, call (250) 510-7693 for a free consultation!

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Artist Statement

Our artist statement is available for download here. This document describes our history and background, and the vision behind the fine art that we create at Toad Hollow Photography. Please feel free to download and share as you wish, with our regards.

Without a doubt, today’s post is going to feature my personal favorite shots from the Wooden Boat Festival at Maple Bay Marina. This is our second post in the “The Hollow’s Backyard” series showcasing the festival, boats and the marina that hosted the event.

Now, even though I may be a Toad with nautical interests, an expert in boats is something I am not. But, I love boats. A lot. And I know what I really like and that usually has something to do with going fast. In the late eighties I used to watch Miami Vice (the old one with Don Johnson) religiously… mostly to see the cool fast Ferrari’s and cigarette boats. We have the entire DVD collection of this series at home and it’s my favorite thing to watch… I never tire of seeing these gorgeous vehicles in their natural elements going like they’ve been stolen.

I was absolutely delighted and enchanted with today’s boat, a classic Chris-Craft manufactured in the 50’s, I believe. Made with just gorgeous mahogany, this boat stands out not just as a speedboat, but also as a paramount work of classic art.

She looks like she’s breaking every law, just sitting there. Low slung, bright red lines coupled with the warm and deep mahogany wood… this very well might be one of the nicest boats I’ve ever seen in my life. She really looks like she belongs in a page of a nautical magazine, straight out of the fifties.

It took every bit of self-restraint I could muster to not hop aboard this boat, grab that wheel, and take off. The rich woodwork and gleaming chrome accents really set this image off. Accompany these elements with the rich, vibrant red trim pieces, and you’ve got yourself something special here.

This quintessential shot showcases the Chris-Craft chrome logo, the red trim again, and of course we get to really take in some of the warm tones of the woodwork. Everything was shiny and sparkly with this gem, with reflections everywhere to behold. In my humble opinion, they really don’t make them like this anymore….

I can’t, for the life of me, pick my favorite image from this series. This one is definitely a contender. This shot was one of those quickly captured images that once I brought it home for post-processing, I was personally surprised and enamored by it when it came to life. There’s something about the out of focus window framing, and the wonderful and colorful elements and features inside that really made me feel like we were having a magical glimpse into a time now 60 years past.

This picture definitely reminds me of the business end of a pointy stick. Seriously. These boats are wicked fast, and if you hear the rumble of her powerful engine and turn to see this comin’ at you, you best hurry out-of-the-way! I love the red stripe there on the side, it definitely looks to me like it’s a racing stripe. And again, we have a plethora of red trim and rich mahogany to take in and enjoy here. Just gorgeous, eh?

Now, this may indeed be one of those multiple shots from a slightly different angle that most photographers really don’t see merit in, but to me this was a completely different picture than the one above. Here we focus on the red and white “go fast sticks”; also known as the throttle controls. The open, lifted windows give this enchantress the appearance she’s looking back at you coyly. You can almost imagine her blinking and smiling as everyone walks around her and fully takes in all the gorgeous beauty that makes this vessel the pure diamond she truly is. Next to Mrs. Toad, this is one beautiful woman who can turn this Toad’s eye, I can honestly tell you.

We sure hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post as much as we did bringing it to you! We really appreciate you taking the time to visit, and hope you may find some time to leave us a comment… we love to hear from all our visitors!

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Ok, I think that a Toad we all know, might just do with a cold shower! These are stunning images; captured with all the affection and fascination of a truly ardent admirer. The image of the steering wheel (I’m sure there is a proper name) is my favorite!

This is one of the most wonderful comments ever, Barbara, thank you so very much!! I call it a steering wheel, too… must be the car guy in me! Regardless, thank you so very much for your visit and support today, my friend!